Just Because
by PeinSaku
Summary: Because he is Itachi, she is Sakura, and that's the way things work. Series of one-shots. Sequel to Harry Potter and the Red Dawn Guardians.
1. Of Smirks and Showers

The first of a short series of one-shots acting as a sequal to _Harry Potter and the Red Dawn Guardians_.

This one takes place during the last chapter of the story; I think you'll all recognize the part. ;)

This particular chapter is rated M for a reason, friends.

I don't own _Naruto_, _Harry Potter_, or anything else you people can come up with except this plot line.

Please read and review! :D

* * *

**Of Smirks and Showers**

Because Sakura just didn't know how to shut her mouth and stopping egging him on.

* * *

Sakura never thought her first time would be in a shower.

She never thought her first time would be with an Uchiha, either — especially a certain bastard-ish Uchiha whom she had decked upon meeting.

But the world has a way of springing shit on you that you're completely unprepared for, so she'd just learned (that morning) to give it up and go with the flow. It was much easier this way, and she didn't have to waste time or chakra mending broken jaws after the resulting fights.

So, when Uchiha Itachi smirked at her in that way of his that made her insides squirm and suggested with a rather sly glint in his eyes that they take a shower before dressing to meet up with some Rock Lee fellow (apparently a freak in a green jumpsuit with mustaches for eyebrows, if she remembered Sasuke's words correctly) to train, she surprised him by sending a devilish smirk of her own and cocking an eyebrow. She relished in the look on his face at her response, because, really, she was most likely the only person in the world to witness such a reaction from him and live to tell the tale. It took him barely a heartbeat to regain his composure. His eyes darkened and narrowed, smirk twisting wider as he detected her challenge.

"And why should _you_ need a shower?" she inquired lightly, smiling coyly. "Are you coming to train with us?"

The look in his eyes directly contradicted his reply. "Perhaps."

"…you're just gonna watch while I slam him into the ground, aren't you?"

His smirk was dazzling, displaying just how much he enjoyed that rather violent streak in her. "Hn."

Sakura laughed. Her frame trembled with the force of her amusement, the brushing of her skin across his making his jaw tense and his grip tighten around her waist. The scent of her hair as it tickled his nose was intoxicating. He drew in a deep breath, his fingers trailing up her spine. She jumped slightly at the sudden feeling, and her legs curled instinctively, knee grazing his inner thigh.

He twitched.

Down _there_.

He smirked smugly at the deer-in-headlights look in her eyes as her face abruptly turned bright red.

"Something wrong, Sa-ku-ra?"

She shivered at the way her name rolled off his tongue with chocolaty richness, small hands twisting nervously in the few centimeters of blanket between them. She refused to meet his eyes, much to his wicked amusement. His mouth ghosted over hers, the fingers of one hand threading into her hair to draw her face up to his.

"All talk and nothing to back up your words with?" he murmured heatedly against her lips, black eyes burning into hers. "You disappoint me."

She stared up at him with wide eyes, swallowing to wet her rapidly drying throat. Her tongue darted out to moisten her lips, and her breathing hitched as his eyes flew to the action, watching it intently with a predatory gleam in his darkening gaze. She calmed her expression and boldly lifted her chin, allowing her lips to graze his more fully when she spoke.

"I've yet to see _you_ make good on your words, _I-ta-chi_," she whispered, eyes jade fire as she looked up at him seemingly innocently through her eyelashes.

His gaze went from black to _dark_ black in a heartbeat. She gave a squeak of surprise when he suddenly leapt from the bed with more speed than she ever could have imagined, dragging her with him, his grip on her waist allowing him to twist her around and carry her like a blushing bride — without the whole bride part. Gasping, she locked her arms around his neck, silently vowing to beat the man black and blue if he dropped her — intentionally or otherwise. He expertly kicked the rice paper door open and stalked across the hall at a ground-eating pace, eyes locked on the bathroom door. He paused with his foot jamming the bathroom door halfway open when an indignant curse sounded from his right.

Sasuke stood in the middle of the hallway, watching the pair with growing horror. Sakura's face put her hair to shame, but she managed not to look away from him. With a deeply sickened grimace creeping across his mouth, the youngest Uchiha turned on his heel and stamped off in the other direction, muttering under his breath. "Fuck…stupid…leave…bridge…"

Sakura choked out an embarrassed laugh before squeaking again as Itachi suddenly flung open the bathroom door and kicked it closed behind them. He dumped her in the shower, catching her under the arms to make sure she didn't actually fall before drawing the glass door closed. Despite the fact that they were both still fully clothed, he used his body to pin her against a wall and attacked her mouth with his own, gripping her waist with one hand and turning on the shower with the other. She gasped as cold water pelted her, and he took that chance to tilt his head and deepen the kiss, bringing his other hand back to slid along her jaw.

She slid her arms around his neck and drew her left leg up to hook around his waist, earning a smirk against her lips in return. She groaned into his mouth as he pressed her hips into the wall with his own. He broke the kiss and ghosted his lips across the hollow below her ear, leaving her gasping for breath. She tipped her head back in bliss when he traveled down to her neck, drawing his tongue along the smooth, wet skin before nipping.

She whimpered, eyes closing and lips parting as his mouth did wonders to her neck. He latched onto her pulse in the way he knew she liked, earning a low groan and the twisting of her fingers in his hair. He dipped his tongue into the hollow at the base of her throat before kissing a hot trail across her collarbone. Using only his hips to pin her to the wall and pressing his forehead against hers, he forced her to lock eyes with him as he slowly undid the buttons on her thoroughly soaked white sleeping shirt. Damp pink hair stuck to her face and mostly obscured her eyes, but the tendrils failed to hide her sensuous expression as he finally forced the last of the buttons to give and parted the fabric, sliding it off her shoulders. His hands found their way to rest at her waist, teasing the band of her too-big shorts as he admired the bindings on her chest.

His calloused fingers slid up her stomach, catching on her smooth skin in a way that sent tingles down her spine. She hummed, eyes drifting halfway closed as he dipped his head to catch the first band of her chest bindings between his teeth. He pulled, causing the other bands to loosen and go slack. Her hands slipped down from behind his neck and twisted meaningfully into his shirt — because only _he_ would wear a shirt to bed. She tugged as he attempted to remove her chest bindings. Catching the hint, he reached down and pulled his own shirt up and over his head, tossing it in a random direction before resuming his attack on the bandages. She slid her hands appreciatively across his warm chest, fingers tracing his muscles and scars lightly. She gave a breathy laugh when he grunted in approval, which turned into a pleasant gasp as the bindings dropped away.

The coldness of the water shocked her breasts, hardening her already stiff nipples. They weren't cold for long, though, as he latched his mouth onto one and nipped to the point of almost pain. She groaned and dragged his face back up, settling her mouth against his firmly. Her smirking into her lips, sucking on her tongue and ghosting his hands down to her waist. Her breath hitched, and he felt her heart slam through the contact with his own chest as his fingers slipped under the elastic band of her shorts and drew them down. He switched his mouth to her jaw, allowing her to drink in mouthfuls of air as he bent slightly to slide her shorts around her hips.

She dropped her leg from his waist and helped him in shimmying out of the shorts, kicking them way when they fell to her ankles. His hands immediately went for the line of her panties, but she hooked her fingers through the belt loops of his pants and gave a rough jerk. His hips slammed against hers, making white spots momentarily shoot across her vision before she regained her wits. Itachi chuckled lowly, caressing her waist in a way that made her shudder. Indulging her, he took her hands in his and guided them to the button on his pants. She shakily undid the button as his fingers tickled her stomach, expression a lovely mix of desire and embarrassment. Before she even realized what was happening, he was standing stark naked in front of her and yanking down the last of her undergarments. He pressed fully against her most sacred area, deriving a sharp gasp. His eyes immediately shot to her face and he froze, taking in the rather large expanse of red that was rapidly creeping down her neck.

"You—"

"No," she mumbled, head turned slightly, eyes averted.

He was still. The word hung uncomfortably in the air between them.

_Virgin._

His jaw clenched. Sakura's eyes widened as he tried to pull away, steeling her arms so that he was unable to draw his neck back.

"What're you—"

"No," he said firmly, practically glaring at her. At her crushed look, he explained through gritted teeth. "You are _not_ giving this to me."

She stared at him in shock, then fixed him with an equally stubborn glower. "I have just as much blood on my hands as you do," she said bitingly. "As much as you'd like to deny it, I'm just as damned as you are." He stared at her, unable to reply. Her eyes were the jade fire he knew so well. "You're just going to have to except it."

His eyes flickered with something she couldn't read, and he suddenly seemed very tired. His muscles relaxed and he allowed himself to rest his forehead against her collarbone. Face softening, she ran her fingers through his hair. When he finally lifted his face a long moment later, she kissed him gently. Sighing into her mouth, he gave in and returned the affection.

He couldn't help but smirk when she squeaked and blushed crimson as a certain something brushed against her inner thigh. She didn't like that look in his eye.

She also got the distinct feeling that she wouldn't be able to sit down for a while.

And that, dear children, is how Haruno Sakura got laid in a shower.


	2. Of Daughters and Death Threats

Ah, yes; this one will definitely be one of my favorites. :)

Please read and review!

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**Of Daughters and Death Threats**

Because Sakura was a woman, and women were always right.

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There were only two times throughout Itachi's entire life when he found himself absolutely frozen, unable to do a thing. Unable to move, to speak, to _think_. The sudden flash of worry was paralyzing, an icy claw jabbing up beneath his ribs and digging into his chest.

It was an awful feeling.

The sense of being unable to fix something, of being unable to effect the outcome in the slightest.

The first time was when his younger brother walked in on him killing their parents. Since then, he had felt nothing even remotely like that crippling shock — until now.

"Uchiha-san," an ANBU murmured, appearing before him.

He and his team — consisting of Nara Shikamaru, Inuzuka Hana (and her dog), and Hyuga Neji — came to a halt from leaping through trees. His companions watched him curiously as he interacted with the masked man.

"Hn."

The ANBU bowed respectfully before delivering his message. "Hokage-sama has requested your immediate presence at the hospital. Your wife was apparently cleaning a friend's house to keep herself busy, but overstrained herself and passed out. She took a tumble down two flights of stairs."

He froze, eyes ever-so-slightly widened. Hana gasped. His voice was airy when he spoke, almost as if the breath had been knocked from his lungs.

"The baby?"

"It's condition is unclear. She has gone into an early labor as a result of the fall."

Never in all his days had Shikamaru sensed such an intense wave of killing-intent waft off one man.

"I have been sent to replace you on your mission."

But he was gone before the ANBU finished.

He _knew_ he shouldn't have accepted this mission — not with Sakura so far along in her pregnancy. The baby wasn't due for nearly another month, but, damn it, he should've _known_ not to leave her alone.

The sole proof that whatever god up there didn't _completely_ despise him came in the form of the knowledge that he and his team had only been a mile or so away from the village. With the divine speed he'd spent years to perfect, he reached Konoha in under two minutes. He made a direct path to the hospital, having been there so many times — what with Sakura helping out the medical staff every now and then — that he could crawl there from the Uchiha Compound with his eyes closed. He didn't slam his hands on the nurse's desk and demand to know the room his wife was in; that would take too much time. He simply cast out his senses and felt for her.

There.

Third floor.

Her chakra was spiking wildly, a clear signal that she was either royally pissed or in great pain. Upon reaching her room he discovered that it was, in fact, both.

Going by the fragments of yells he heard from Tsunade and the other rushing medics in the room, Sakura was apparently being denied numbing medication because, "if she had any severe head damage, the meds would block out the pain, and then they'd never know if she had a serious injury to her cranium until she keeled over and died." Delivering a baby clearly was higher priority that treating a head injury.

Itachi wasn't sure what she'd bashed her head against upon falling down the stairs, but, _damn_, it was bleeding. He caught her eye for barely a second before a medic forced him out of the room. When the door slammed behind him, somewhat but not completely muting the sounds from inside, he leaned heavily against a wall. His eyes didn't blink.

The shouting and screaming started a moment later.

It began with the usual wordless cries of pain, but soon escalated to accusations and death threats. She was, apparently, _never_ going to suffer through this again, and if he had any complaints about that, then she was going to, it appeared, shove her foot up his ass and force him to birth it out like she was currently doing to that _thing and god it hurt _and _stupid fucking Uchiha and his ugly face and conniving ways_ and _he was so dead _when she got his hands on him because_ this hurt _and_ she would make him pay for it _because_ it was all his fault._

If Itachi had ever had any doubts about his wife's violent tendencies or her expert ability to craft extremely creative and painful-sounding death threats… Well, let's just say he never had those doubts.

It came as a shock when hours later — _surely_ it had only been a few moments? — the room went deathly silent. The screams — well, her voice had been getting a little rough there close to the end so, considering her lungs of steel, maybe it _had_ been a few hours — had stopped. He stood before the door in the blink of an eye, expression hard, but didn't open the door. (It was locked; he had tried it earlier. Damned medics.) When the woman that had shoved him out slid it open, she met his gaze with an embarrassed look. She clearly knew that he had heard each and every promise of agonizing demise his wife had snarled at him through the wall. She stepped back, allowing him to flash to Sakura's side. His eyes instantly flew to the tiny bundle — was it supposed to be that small? Why was it gurgling? Was it sick? If it was sick, he'd kill every medic in this room for their incompetence — in her arms.

Dark pink hair.

With black streaks.

He could've twitched when he caught the blatant smirk Sakura was sending him. Despite the obvious tiredness etched across her face, smug satisfaction won out.

It was a girl.

"I _told_ you."


	3. Of Sons and Stories

There will only be three more of these, and then it'll be over. :)

Enjoy!

Please read and review!

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**Of Sons and Stories**

Because Sakura just _had_ to give him a pink-haired son, damn her.

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"Oto-san!"

Itachi leapt up immediately, eyes bleeding red, ready to rip someone's throat out because, by God, his son was crying. A tiny whirlwind by the name of Uchiha Haruko flung himself at him, causing the man to take a step back to brace himself. His arms wrapped protectively around the six-year-old as he clung to his neck, gaze darting in every direction. He sensed no other chakra signatures. Relaxing just slightly, he looked down at his son.

"What has happened?" His voice was smooth and gentle, but an edge of 'I'm-going-to-fuck-up-whoever-did-this-to-you' was seeping through.

His reply was a garble of sniffing and choking on tears, face pressed against Itachi's neck. The man grunted, shifting the boy's weight. He didn't have to tell him to repeat his words.

"Th-they made fun of my hair," he mumbled between snuffles, sounding absolutely crushed.

Itachi stilled. "Who did?"

"My…" Sniff. "My classmates…"

He sighed, resting one hand gently on top of his son's head.

His _pink_ head.

Dark pink, mind you, but still pink. (Her damn hair color had been a dominant trait throughout her family. She hadn't saw fit to inform him of that little fact until _after_ she smirked in his face as he witnessed the birth of his pink-haired son.)

"You are an Uchiha," Itachi murmured, wiping the tears from Haruko's face with the pad of his thumb. "Others' opinions of you do not matter. Never forget that."

The child swallowed, nodding, and looked his father in the face. "Oto-san, you like _'_Ka-chan's pink hair, don't you?" he asked hopefully, eyes wide with young innocence. He grunted. "And you like nee-chan's pink hair, too, right? Even though it has black streaks?"

"Hn." His fingers dragged through Haruko's messy dusky rose locks. "Your hair is no different. Stop fretting about it." He kissed the boy's (thankfully normal-sized) forehead. "You are beginning to sound like your mother."

"At least he doesn't sound like his father," came the sharp voice of Uchiha Sakura. She stood in the doorway of the kitchen, arms crossed over her chest. "One child taking after you is bad enough." She strolled across the room to her husband, smiling softly as she placed a hand on her son's cheek. "Don't listen to those silly boys in your class. They don't know what they're talking about." She kissed his cheek. "You're perfect just the way you are." Cue sly grin. "And just think: _you_ can laugh at _them_ when all the girls in your class start giggling over you."

He gave a devilish smile in return, making it clear exactly which parent he took after.

Sakura leaned back against Itachi as one arm snaked around her waist, offering her arms to help support Haruko's weight. Her little clone with dark emerald eyes looked up at them, curiosity suddenly blooming on his face. She eyed him warily. He had a tendency to swing randomly from topic to topic, so the things that came out of his mouth usually shocked people.

"'Ka-chan, Oto-san said he likes your hair." Itachi grunted as she stifled a laugh. "Is that why Oto-san married you? 'Cause your hair is pretty?"

She snorted, and the man chuckled. "Actually, Haruko-kun," she said, tapping his nose, "your father didn't always like my hair. In fact, he used to make fun of it." He gave a grunt as if to object, and she elbowed him in the ribs.

'Make fun of' was a rather light term. But Haruko didn't need to know that.

The poor boy stared up at them with wide, disbelieving eyes. "What?" he squeaked out.

"Mmhm," she agreed, nodding. "Your father was very mean to me when we first met."

He immediately latched on to that, eyes brightening. "How did'ja meet?"

Sakura paused uncomfortably, gaze flickering to Itachi. He just smirked at her as if to, "You brought it up." She bit her lip.

Their daughter and first-born, Sanota — a chunin, going on jonin, and a genius in her own right, all at the tender age of ten — had already been told of their past. She knew all about the Akatsuki and their former missing-nin status. But she was different from Haruko. She was mature well beyond her short ten years. Sakura was afraid her son wouldn't take so well to the news, his innocent young mind too naïve to comprehend the things she and Itachi had done.

"Well," she began carefully, swallowing to wet her throat. "We…um…" She paused, then looked the boy straight in the eyes. "You have to understand, Haruko-kun, that your father and I didn't exactly…_like_ each other when we met."

His eyes widened. "You _didn't_?"

She shook her head. "I lived in a different village back then," she explained. "At that time, your father was undercover in a group of dangerous ninja."

Awe shone brightly on his face as he looked at Itachi, appearing to mentally compare him to a god.

"He came looking for me one day and asked me to join. But I didn't like his group, and I didn't know he was undercover. So I refused." Haruko swallowed, small hand twisting into Itachi's shirt, obviously caught up in the story. "He wouldn't take 'no' for an answer," she continued, shooting her husband a frown. "So he challenged me to a fight—"

"After your mother called me a few rather rude names," he interrupted smoothly, earning a glare from her and a snicker from his son.

"He challenged me to a fight," she repeated sourly, "and he cheated."

The boy gasped, eyes impossibly wide. "Oto-san _cheated_?"

"Yes," she agreed, satisfied with the glower she received from the man beside her. "He cheated. He tricked me into joining, so I punched him."

Cue strangled gasp — much like the gasp Naruto gave whenever someone threatened to take away his ramen. "P-_punched_? !"

Itachi grunted. "Your mother is a very violent woman," he remarked bluntly. She smacked at him indignantly. "You would do well not to pick up her bad habits."

Sakura's eye twitched. "Uchiha Itachi…" He recognized the warning tone and smirked.

Haruko seemed amazed. "'Ka-chan?"

She beamed at him in a way that scared the poor boy. "Why don't you go play with Akki?"

He made a face. "She's icky."

"Haruko-kun, Akki is almost your cousin. You wouldn't want to disappoint Naruto-oji-san and Hinata-oba-chan by saying that, now would you?"

"But, she's…" His nose screwed up. "_Annoying._ And she yells a lot."

"So is Naruto-oji," she said flatly. "But you like him."

He brightened. "'Cause Naruto-oji is funny, and he gives me paper bombs!"

Sakura froze, eyes flashing. "_What?_"


	4. Of Cheating and Chakra Punches

Part Four of Six (unless I come up with more). This one goes back to Sakura and Itachi's first meeting.

I hope you all like it! :)

Please read and review!

* * *

**Of Cheating and Chakra Punches**

Because Uchiha Itachi is a fucking cheater.

* * *

"Haruno-san."

Sakura froze. Slowly, she glanced over her shoulder. Two men stood behind her — one was an average-sized man with long black hair and the other was a six-foot-tall blue-skinned fish-man with a giant bandaged sword strapped to his back. Her lips pressed in a hard line. She hadn't heard them approach. She hadn't even sensed their chakra signatures until a heartbeat before her name was called.

"Who are you?" she asked evenly, turning to face them, expression uninterested.

They completely ignored her question.

"You are coming with us," the shorter of the two stated bluntly.

She crossed her arms over her chest, eyeing their cloaks.

"Akatsuki, I suppose," she murmured, shifting her weight to her other foot. "I'm not interested."

The blue-skinned man grinned. "No, see — you don't get it; we weren't asking."

She didn't react. "Neither was I."

He gave a rough laugh, smile revealing a wide row of pointed teeth. "You've got attitude, kid. I like that."

"Frankly, I don't like you." Then, in the upmost display of disrespect, she turned and began walking away. "Like I said, I'm not interested."

He laughed louder. The only warning she received indicating that his partner was not amused was the sudden flickering of his chakra signature. Her head whipped to the side just in time to see him barely a foot away, hand diving for her throat. She kicked away and leapt back, boot-sandals skidding across the ground and throwing up a small cloud of dirt. She snapped her arm back and flung a chakra-packed fist forward. He flashed down beneath her strike, blood red eyes trained on her hand as her momentum carried her to punch a tree. The entire trunk exploded into a shower of bits; the top came crashing down.

"Leader told us not to let you touch us," the shark-man remarked, eyeing her with a slight frown. "That explains why."

"Do not start something you cannot finish," Sakura said coldly, green eyes narrowed slightly as she watched the one that had attacked her. "I've told you three times that I'm uninterested in doing anything that concerns your filthy organization. If you insist on pushing me, I will kill you."

"Ne, Itachi," Blue-san spoke up, grinning again. "I think Pinky just insinuated that she's stronger than you."

Her eyebrows drew down. Itachi? Ah, yes; the Uchiha. That would explain his Sharingan.

She had never seen him before, but she had heard of him. She supposed, then, that the man with him was Hoshigaki Kisame.

Before she even realized that he was moving, Itachi sent a fireball at her. She sprang up and flipped over it, hands flying through the seals for a jutsu of her own. Dodging a volley of shuriken, she blasted a gust of air straight at the ball of fire and sent it reeling back at the Uchiha. He stepped right through it, the flames shying away from touching his body. His ponytail blew straight back with the lasting forces of her jutsu.

"Defeat me in a battle of genjutsu," he murmured, "and we shall leave you be."

She glared at him, fist clenching. "I am not stupid, Uchiha," she retorted. "No genjutsu is effective against your Sharingan unless it is created by another Sharingan." She slid into a fighting stance, muscles tense. "I believe a battle of taijutsu would be more appropriate."

His eyes narrowed. Taijutsu couldn't be tracked by the Sharingan; only techniques using chakra could be, and judging by her lack of said chakra in her fists, he doubted that she would be foolish enough to give him that advantage.

"Very well," he agreed smoothly, remaining standing straight. "Should I defeat you, you will come with us quietly."

"And when I win," she countered, earning a snort from Kisame, "you two will turn around and leave me alone. And Kami help me — if I ever see any of you again, I'll reintroduce you all to your entrails."

Itachi didn't so much as blink. "Agreed."

Sakura wasn't sure which one of them moved first, but soon they were face-to-face in the center of the clearing, throwing and avoiding blows. Twisting around with surprising flexibility, she planted one hand firmly onto the ground (sending a spider's web of cracks running along the area) and swung her leg around to knock him off his feet. He drew his knees up in a short leap and struck out with the heel of his palm. Using her position to maneuver her body lower, she ducked beneath the attack.

Strike. Leap. Duck. Kick. Dodge. Jump back.

Her brain fed her a clear stream of instructions as she flew through the motions, successfully avoiding every single blow but failing to land one of her own. Without her chakra and his Sharingan, they were about even in hand-to-hand combat.

Whipping around out of his reach, Sakura dropped and slammed her leg into the ground. A small fissure ripped open beneath the Uchiha, momentarily throwing him off-balance.

"Oi," Kisame called, frowning. "I thought this was just a taijutsu fight. Chakra ain't allowed."

Sakura smirked, darting under Itachi's defenses in his moment of surprise. "I'm not using chakra."

Her own strength could only cause thick cracks in the earth roughly ten feet in length; using chakra delivered earthquake-worthy damage.

Then, Uchiha Itachi did the unthinkable:

He fucking cheated.

He captured her gaze in his own and forced upon her the deadly hypnosis of his Sharingan. As a genjutsu master herself, it took her barely a second to break free.

But a second was all he needed.

He hand snatched hold of her throat, startling her as she regained control of herself, and slammed her into the ground. Momentarily dazed, she blinked to rid her vision of the white spots.

"I believe I have won," he remarked, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips.

Her face twisted in rage. "Cheating bastard!"

Uchiha Itachi was abruptly surprised as she punched him flat-out in the face.

With chakra.

His head was thrown to the side, and he felt his jaw shatter. Sakura glared furiously up at him but made no attempt to struggle. She knew she was beat.

Besides, Kisame was walking over to see if his partner needed help. Trying to escape quite obviously wasn't a good idea.

Itachi glowered down at her as he yanked her off the ground. He didn't speak — he probably couldn't, anyway, with his broken jaw — but his irate expression clearly said, "Fix this _now_."

"You're a man, aren't you?" she snapped, allowing him to grab her by her forearm as a means of keeping her prisoner. "Then you can live with it."

Of course, the despicable Uchiha got his revenge as soon as he dragged her back to the main Akatsuki base, because the first thing out of Pein's mouth when he saw them was, "Heal him immediately."

Stupid bastard.


	5. Of Missions and Mind Games

The next chapter will be the last one, unless I think of something else. I doubt I will, though, so...

Anyways!

Please read and review!

* * *

**Of Missions and Mind Games**

Because Sakura is in denial, and Itachi knows it.

* * *

"Uchiha."

"Hn."

They didn't look at each other, continuing to leap through the trees, acting as if they hadn't spoken. Five ANBU were tailing them.

"Falcon Head Maneuver?"

Itachi grunted the affirmative. Without pausing, they changed directions fifteen degrees to the north. The Kusa Black Ops weren't fazed. They remained out of seeing distance but within range to sense their targets' chakra signatures. The pair traveled roughly three miles before Itachi cast an intricate cloaking genjutsu upon them in the blink of an eye. The ANBU stiffened and picked up speed when their chakra disappeared. All five of them came to a halt two branches in front of Itachi and Sakura.

"Where'd they go?" one growled angrily. "Did they use some sort of teleportation ninjutsu?"

"Probably," a second one muttered, sighing.

Another masked man cursed. "Kamihito-sama won't be happy."

Kamihito Daisuke was the name of Kusagakure's village leader. Only the rulers of the Five Great Nations carried the "kage" title, but every shinobi village had a leader.

"There's no trail," the second one remarked, having crouched down. He stood back up. "There's no point in wasting time here. Let's go." He was obviously the leader of the group.

They turned and darted away, passing by Itachi and Sakura with only inches between them. The two Akatsuki members waited nearly three minutes before the ANBU squad's chakra signatures finally faded as they got too far away. He dropped the genjutsu, adjusted their course, and set off with Sakura on his heels.

.

"_Itachi, Sakura, I am pairing the both of you up for this mission."_

_If Pein hadn't been the one giving those orders, she would've growled at him. His eyes narrowed. "May I ask why?"_

"_Deidara, while excellent at gathering information, is by no means stealthy," the Akatsuki Leader replied flatly. "And Kisame's technique tends to attract attention. Therefore, seeing as this mission requires both stealth and battle efficiency, I am temporarily switching your partner arrangements." He gazed at both of them evenly, sitting at his desk, folded hands nearly touching his bottom lip. "Are there any objections?"_

"_Yes," Sakura wanted to say. "No," she muttered instead. Itachi grunted in agreement. Pein didn't so much as blink._

"_Very well." He slid a paper across his desk to them with one finger. "Your mission," he murmured, tapping the diagram on the page, "is to retrieve Orochimaru's ring. We've allowed him to keep it for far too long. Now that you" — he looked at Sakura — "have Sasori's old ring, we need one for Tobi."_

_She glanced down at the ring on her thumb. Deidara had told her a lot about his former partner. He'd apparently been killed by his own grandmother._

"_You are to leave no trail," Pein continued, drawing her out of her thoughts. "Kill Oto-nin and paint his walls red, if you must; Orochimaru will realize that we are behind this, but I don't want him knowing exactly who is responsible."_

_They both understood his meaning. Orochimaru has tried once before to take Itachi's body in order to preserve his "immortality," and their Leader didn't want him to try it again if he found out that the Uchiha was in his base._

"_Am I clear?"_

_Despite how much she detested going on a mission — alone — with that__** thing**__ at her side, she bowed. "Hai."_

.

"The Oto boarder is seven miles further."

Itachi's words dragged her back to the present. "Ah." He checked the sky.

"In approximately forty minutes, the sun will go down," he murmured. "In that time, we will be six miles into Oto territory, just at the edge of the village. It would be wise to set up camp for the night on this side of the boarder to decrease the chance of an attack." Otogakure was infamous for its "kill-first-ask-later" policy regarding intruders.

Sakura gave a short nod. "I agree. This way, we can find our way into the village without having to stumble around in the dark." He grunted, confirming that her thoughts echoed his own.

"We will reach the boarder in twenty-two minutes."

.

.

.

Itachi was right on the money as they clocked in at twenty-one minutes and forty-two seconds.

Damn Uchihas. They always had to be right.

Bloody, bruised hues painted the sky whilst they searched for a suitable place to camp out for the night. After finding a cramped but secure cave, Itachi filled their canteens in a nearby stream and Sakura rummaged around in her pack for energy bars. They each ate two of the bland food-bricks and drank their water in silence, seated comfortably — but much closer than they would've liked — near the back of the cave. A fire was out of the question; the smoke would be suffocating in such a confined space, and it would send an "enemy ninja here" sign to any competent shinobi in the area. Darkness settled around them as the sun dipped down below the horizon. Sensing a pair of eyes on her, Sakura glanced to her right.

Itachi was watching her, his bright Sharingan gaze and the faintest outlines of his skin the only things she could see. She shifted restlessly.

"What?"

He said nothing — continued studying her as if she were a particularly difficult puzzle. She swallowed, and his eyes immediately darted to her neck, following the action. Her fingers curled tightly into the dirt and pebbles on the floor of the cave. Her heart leapt to her throat as his eyes flickered back up and captured hers. Her breath hitched, muscles tensed, skin tingled, stomach fluttered, mouth ran dry. She couldn't move.

_What's wrong with me?_ She wondered angrily, trying and failing to snap herself out of it — whatever "it" was. She felt as though she'd been poisoned.

The tomoe in his Sharingan began to spin, throwing her mind into a fog. He wasn't using any genjutsu or his Kekkei Genkai; he was just _there_.

Then, the tips of his fingers brushed her hands, leaving a trail of invisible fire in their wake. She shivered at the sensation, looking up at him through her eyelashes. The faintest hint of a smirk curled the edges of his lips.

He was making a point: the physical attraction between them.

"No," she murmured, finally finding her voice despite how shaky it was. Amusement flickered in his gaze. His expression clearly disagreed with her objection.

In one fluid motion, he stood and made his way to the front of the cave, leaving Sakura in a stupor.

"I will take first watch."

She blinked, feeling like an idiot as he sat down and stared intently at the cave's entrance. Fists clenching, she glared at his back.

So, he wanted to play? Fine. She'd play his little game.

With a grunt, she stretched out on her side and stubbornly closed her eyes.

What she didn't know, however, was that she was already playing.

And she had just let him win.


	6. Of Parties and Paper Bombs

Finally done! There's a tinytinytiny chance that I may think of something else. I seriously doubt it, though, because I want to leave it like it is.

Anyways!

Please read and review! :)

* * *

**Of Parties and Paper Bombs**

Because Naruto is a determined little bastard that won't take "no" for an answer.

* * *

Sakura sighed, massaging her forehead in the wake of an oncoming migraine. One hand was planted firmly on the counter, bracing her. Opening her eyes, she gazed down at the rice balls she'd been making. Silence reigned in the house; she was there alone.

Sanota, age six, was sitting through her second-to-last day at the academy before graduation. Every other soon-to-be genin was twice her age. Haruko, turning two the following day, had been taken by Naruto moments previous to go play with his three-year-old daughter, Akki. Itachi was away on a mission and due to return —

A pair of strong, familiar arms snaked around her waist from behind.

— right then, apparently.

"I just saw Uzumaki leaving with Haruko," he murmured into her ear as she leaned back against him. "He seemed more lively than usual; what mayhem is he up to this time?"

Sakura grimaced, closing her eyes. "He wants to throw a birthday party for Haruko-kun tomorrow."

Silence.

Then:

"Absolutely not."

.

.

.

Both Sakura and Itachi glared black flames at Naruto's head, willing the little bastard to spontaneously combust.

As the world would have it, however, he didn't. Sadly.

Maybe they could stab him to death with the wands they got in the wizardry world; not like they were going to use them for anything else, anyway.

Sakura sighed, satisfied to see that Sanota wore an expression of, "How is that idiot my uncle?"

"Naruto, how do you always manage to twist others to your wishes?"

The blond grinned at her, holding his daughter securely. "'Cause I'm awesome."

"No," she deadpanned. "You're not. It's something else."

He frowned, pretending to be hurt. "Ne, Sakura-chan, you're mean."

"No — you're just an idiot."

He stuck his tongue out at her.

Somehow, Naruto had convinced them to let him throw their son a birthday party. The "Konoha 12" — minus Satoko, who had quit her job as a kunoichi and moved to a civilian village in Waterfall Country roughly two years previous for reasons she refused to state — and a few choice sensei had come to Naruto and Hinata's (large, Hyuga-owned) house for the party, all bearing gifts. The present-opening part hadn't been as bad as Sakura had feared, but one thing still troubled her:

Naruto had yet to produce a present.

And she _knew_ he wouldn't forget something like that, no matter how big of an idiot he was.

Judging by Itachi's expression, he seemed to feel the same.

"C'mon, Sakura, relax," Kiba urged, walking up with three pieces of cake. Naruto, she noted grimly, and her son had disappeared. "Everything's fine. What's got you so worried?"

She grimaced, thanking him for the cake. Itachi and Sanota accepted their pieces as well but didn't eat them.

"Naruto's up to something," she said, absently taking a bite of sugary goodness. "I don't know what, but I can feel it."

"Ah." Kiba frowned. "I know that feeling. Creepy as hell, ain't it?" She shot him a pointed look. "Right. Not helping." He sighed and ran a hand through his messy hair. "Look, Sakura — whatever it is, it can't be that bad. I mean, it's not like he's gonna give your kid a weapon or anything like that. He ain't _that_ stupid."

Itachi's eyes suddenly narrowed as he glared at something — or, rather, some_one_ — across the room. "I beg to differ."

Sakura followed his gaze. She scowled dangerously.

"_Uzumaki Naruto_, if you give that paper bomb to my son, Kami help me, I will _gut_ you like a fish!"


	7. Of Favors and Fan Girls

Well, guys, you got lucky. I thought up two more. But that's it — after the next one, this story is over.

I hope you all like it!

Please read and review! :)

* * *

**Of Favors and Fan Girls**

Because fan girls are damn scary, and Sakura is an expert at getting rid of them.

* * *

"Sakura."

She glanced up in surprise as she ducked out of the Ichiraku Ramen Bar. She'd just finished eating ramen with the "Konoha 12" for the first time, and she'd been about to walk back to the Uchiha district. The meeting had gone well —_ after_ the encounter with Satoko. ("Who the hell are _you_?" "I would remind you of common courtesy, but I doubt a savage like you is capable of comprehending the word." "_Savage_? !" "Yes. You throw yourself at others, you scream constantly, and you wear little clothing. Clearly, you are a savage." "Tha— I— yo— it— bu—" "Your lack of intelligent speech only serves to prove that fact. Do yourself a favor and keep your mouth closed — if it is even a possible feat for you." "You BITCH!")

She blinked. "Itachi? What are you doing here?"

His expression was completely stoic — if not a bit irritated. "I am here to collect upon the favor you owe me," he said in a clipped tone.

She glared at him. "I don't owe you shit."

He arched an eyebrow in an "oh, _really_?" manner. "I beg to differ."

.

"_I do believe," he remarked, tone as close to teasing as possible for an Uchiha, "that you owe me a favor."_

_She scowled indignantly. "Favor, my ass! As far as __**I**__ can see, you've yet to so much as show me the front door!"_

_His smirked widened. He slid open a rice paper door on her immediate right — his left — and watched her expression as she looked down that hall to the front door. Ah, yes; very satisfying. She ground her teeth together._

"_As I was saying—"_

"_Fine!" she growled, jerking away from his grip and storming down the hallway beside her. "I'll do your damn favor!"_

_The front door slammed behind her, and the distinct sounds of a certain blond-haired fellow yelling reached his ears._

_Yes._

_**Extremely**__ satisfying._

.

Sakura scowled, crossing her arms over her chest and shifting her weight to her other foot. "Alright, fine!" she snapped. "What the hell do you want?"

If he hadn't been so incredibly annoyed at the moment, he would've smirked.

"I need you to get rid of a group of women that insist upon hanging around the compound and attempt to violate me every time I set foot outdoors."

He appeared to stiffen when the distinct sound of enraptured giggles drifted from a few yards behind him.

She stared at him blankly. "…I…what?"

Any lesser man would have sighed. "I do not enjoy repeating myself. Unless you have gone deaf in the past hour — highly likely, with Uzumaki around — then you have no need to hear me again."

She paused, not reacting to the insult. "You…" Her lips trembled, then curled up into a sly grin. "You're afraid of getting raped!"

They were suddenly the recipients of many wide-eyed stares, and the giggles sounded again — louder. Even better, _all_ of the "Konoha 12" had heard and were now either gaping or gasping. If she'd turned at that moment, she would've seen Sasuke smirk. (Like _hell_ he was going to be the only one to suffer from stalkers.) She wasn't entirely sure, but she thought she saw Itachi twitch. He glowered at her, Sharingan bleeding to life.

"Get rid of them," he hissed lowly. "I do not care how you do it. Kill them, terrorize them, or simply throw them the entire distance to Kumogakure. Just _get rid of them_." Then, he turned on his heel and stalked off.

Despite the odd looks she was receiving, Sakura nearly exploded into laughter. Apparently, the infamous Uchiha Death Glare didn't affect fan girls. And, she sniggered, if Itachi were to growl at them, they'd probably just orgasm on the spot and melt into a pool of giggling goo.

Finally.

Payback for the bastard.

Ah, yes. Sakura grinned as she made her way back to the Uchiha Compound, slowly pulling on her gloves to take out the trash. This was _definitely_ worth doing Itachi a favor.


	8. Of Perverts and Preceding Friends

Alright! The end! No more! (I promise.)

This one has references to the last chapter of _HP and the RDG_.

And I made this one longer. :)

Please read and review!

* * *

**Of Perverts and Preceding Friends**

Because Sakura can't live without her boys.

* * *

Sakura suddenly frowned as a hand found its way down to touch her ass.

Um, no.

Not happening.

Before she could do anything, though, Itachi already had the Kumo-nin dangling in the air by his throat. His Sharingan blazed as he forced a particularly vicious genjutsu upon the unfortunate (perverted) man.

"Itachi," Sakura reprimanded, placing a gentle hand on his wrist, guiding him to put the man down. When he didn't budge, she applied chakra.

He put the man down.

"This man is a Kumogakure ninja," she said sternly. "It's frowned upon to kill an allied village's shinobi." She abruptly turned and decked the shameful man. "Punching him in the face, however, is a much better approach."

He grunted, though his deadly glower never once left the now-unconscious man. Sakura sighed.

"Well, Kumo shouldn't be _too_ mad that we knocked out the guy that was supposed to escort us to the border. I mean, it's not like we're gonna go ransack the Raikage's house or anything."

"Hn."

She smiled at him, attempting to distract him from murdering the offender.

"Mm, I think we should stop by Kirigakure on our way home."

His gaze snapped to hers. When her smile never wavered, he finally gave a sound of agreement in the back of his throat. "Very well. I suppose there is a certain bar you wish to drop in."

A grin twisted her lips.

.

.

.

"Rumor has is that a couple of Konoha-nin took down a psychotic mass-murderer in Kumogakure two days ago."

"What, really?"

"Yeah."

"Wow. How come Kumo needed Konoha-nin to take care of the guy?"

"Apparently they paid a couple high-class shinobi to come over and investigate the murders 'cause they couldn't figure out who was doing it."

"Needed a fresh set of eyes on the case, then?"

"Probably. Turns out, it was one of the Raikage's assistants."

"Seriously? !"

"I know, right?"

"Man…"

The bartender was only half-listening to the men's conversation.

"Yeah. And the two ninja they hired to do the job — they're a weird couple."

"Weird? How so?"

"Well, one of 'em is a girl that came from another village. And her hair — it's —"

"Excuse me, sir."

"Wha — oh, um, y-yes?"

He felt a pair of eyes burning into his back as he cleaned out a glass. Whoever the men were now talking to was watching him — probably knew he was listening in — and was most definitely a shinobi, if the chakra signature had anything to say about it. A second shinobi stood by the newcomer, but he didn't dare look.

"I'm looking for a bar by the ocean with a fish-man acting as bartender." He froze. "Know any around here like that?"

Slowly, painfully slowly, he turned his head and looked over his shoulder.

A pink-haired woman was leaning back against the bar, smiling straight at him. A man with long black hair stood behind her, amusement evident in his expression to anyone who'd been around him long enough to notice.

Like, say, Hoshigaki Kisame.

Then, a wide grin split across his face. He completely ignored the two men sitting at the bar that were staring at him blankly.

"Hey, Naiyou," he called, eyes never leaving the two shinobi before him. A barmaid padded up curiously, her brown hair pulled up in a high, curly ponytail.

"Sir?"

He never even looked at the woman. "Tell the customers the bar is closing for the night."

She frowned. "Why?"

He waved her off impatiently. "Just do it."

She huffed, stalking off to do as she was told. The two men he'd been listening to earlier slipped away nervously after placing money down for a tip.

"Hikaru, you're locking up tonight," he hollered to a dumbfounded flame-haired kid at the far end of the room before putting down the glass he'd been cleaning, walking out from behind the bar. "Sakura. Itachi." His grin widened, showing off an impressive row of shark-like teeth. "'Thought I'd never see you two again."

To his surprise, Sakura pulled him into a tight hug. She was smiling widely — much unlike how cold she'd been when she first joined the Akatsuki. "Hey, Kisame," she murmured, holding onto him for a long moment before pulling back. He patted her head somewhat awkwardly. "I was afraid I'd never see you again, too."

He gave a rough laugh. "Glad to know you missed me." He nodded to Itachi, exchanging the usual manly grunt before placing a large hand on her lower back to guide her forward. "Come on, kitten. I got something to show both of you."

His hand never left her back as he led them to the flight of stairs at the back of the bar. He, like the kunoichi, couldn't seem to bring himself to stop touching her — as if she'd disappear the second he let go. Her shoulder brushed against his side with every step, and she relished the familiar warmth he gave off. Itachi walked on her right, perfectly in step with her — a fact that Kisame noted in amusement.

It was wonderful. Absolutely, positively wonderful.

It was like coming home for the first time in years.

Now, she thought dimly, smile nearly faltering, if only —

"Kisame, who the hell —"

Before them appeared the one person she was truly afraid she'd never see again. She had always thought she might come visit Kisame, but _him_…

"…Sakura?"

She smiled warmly, eyes nearly crinkling closed. "Hey, Deidara."

Sakura wasn't sure which one of them moved first, but suddenly they were embracing each other as if their very lives depended upon it, smiling and laughing in relief. They couldn't let go. Fingers twisted into shirts, and arms tangled around waists.

"Kami," he breathed, eyes closed, cheek resting against the top of her head. "It's been a while, huh?"

She smiled into his neck, breathing in the familiar scent of him. "Two years," she agreed.

"Damn," Kisame mumbled, grinning and shaking his head incredulously. "I'm gonna need a drink for this. How 'bout it?"

"I'm staying sober tonight," Sakura instantly threw in.

"Same, yeah."

Itachi merely grunted.

.

.

.

"I'll go get another bottle," Sakura offered, laughing at the shark-nin's thrashed expression.

"Thanks, kitten," he mumbled, shifting to sit more comfortably and nearly falling in the process. Deidara snorted, rolling his eyes.

"You're gonna kill yourself with all this sake," he remarked.

The blue-skinned man blew him off. "I can handle my alcohol, kid."

He shook his head in amusement, eyes unconscious darting after Sakura as she disappeared into the small kitchen of the little home he and his fishy friend now occupied. His chest clenched. He had to talk to her. Sparing a glance at Itachi, who was sitting suspiciously still, he got up and followed her.

"Sakura."

She glanced over her shoulder as she fished around in a cabinet for a third bottle of sake. Catching his unreadable expression, she paused.

"What's wrong?"

His eyes flickered.

She swallowed.

"_It never would have worked out between us, yeah."_

"Listen, Sakura," he murmured, walking over to her slowly, nervously. "I—" He paused, seemingly searching for the right words. "Ever since the moment I met you, I've—"

"I know," she whispered, eyes trained on the floor. His breath halted. "I…I'm sorry."

He looked away, one hand running through the hair hanging in his face. "I should've told you before he—"

"I'm pregnant, Deidara."

He froze.

Slowly, eyes unbelievably wide, he turned to stare at her in shock. His mouth opened, but the words wouldn't come. She gazed at him sadly — but, he saw, glowing in her eyes was overwhelming happiness. It made his throat close up.

"He doesn't know," she continued quietly, fingers worrying the edges of her sleeves.

He didn't have to ask who "he" was.

"I'm…" She lowered her head nervously, shoulders slightly hunching. "I'm scared to tell him."

After a long, agonizing moment, he finally found his voice. "How long?" He winced at how scratchy it sounded.

She bit her lip. "Two weeks."

He leaned heavily against the door frame to steady himself, staring numbly at the fake tile floor.

"…you should tell him."

Her head shot up. She said nothing. A minute passed before he glanced at her.

Her eyes were closed. Tears were beginning to show themselves.

And she was smiling.

It was written all across her face. Joy. Excitement. Love.

It was the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen.

To his shock, he found himself slightly smiling back.

"Thank you."


End file.
